


Love on the Ocean

by ImOutOfMyVulcanMind (LoopyLu94)



Series: Vacations on Lir [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to past angst, SO MUCH FLUFF, like wow, mild body insecurities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-13 14:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16019585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoopyLu94/pseuds/ImOutOfMyVulcanMind
Summary: After five years in space, Jim and Leonard get away from it all for a little while





	1. Chapter 1

Jim groaned and stretched as he stepped onto the pristine white boat, tilting his head to catch the warm rays of the sun. “This is going to be just what the doctor ordered.”

“Well I did say we needed a break,” Leonard came up on deck, wrapping his arms around Jim’s waist from behind. “It’s been too long since we’ve been here.”

Humming his approval, Jim leaned back into Leonard’s hold. He looked across the shimmering blue ocean, the waves gently lapping in the breeze. They’d first traveled to this planet during their first summer at the academy. It was purely platonic back then, just the two of them needing to get away. The two of them had loved it so much, they’d just kept coming back whenever they could. Now they were back again, fresh from their five-year mission and in love. “I’ve missed it here.”

“So have I. ” Leonard kissed the younger man’s shoulder and stepped back. “All our stuff is downstairs, we’re ready to go whenever you’re ready.”

“I’ve been ready since you first mentioned coming out here.” Jim smiled, hopping up the few steps onto the bridge. He bypassed the auto controls and started the engine. He radioed in that they were ready to depart, waiting for the go-ahead before carefully pulling the yacht out of the dock and out onto the vast sea.

“I’m going to unpack and make us lunch, anything you want?” Leonard called up to him.

“Surprise me, ” Jim called back, glancing over his shoulder at his boyfriend with a smile before returning his attention to the water. He heard Leonard go back below deck and smiled to himself again. The moment Leonard had mentioned coming here once things had settled back on earth, Jim had been all for it. He’d gone to the website and booked them two weeks out here on their favorite yacht through their favorite isolated route. Fourteen whole days of them just being in each others company. After five years on a crowded starship, the peace and tranquillity was heaven.

The planet they were on was located in a solar system not too far from Earth’s. Covered in mostly water, with just a few beaches and landmasses, and with no indigenous species, the planet Lir, quickly became a popular leisure planet. It had everything. Waterfalls and rapids for the adventurers. Beaches with waves perfect for surfing. Safe shorelines usually filled with families having the best vacation. Jim loved all those spots. But this. This was the part he loved the most. For no small fee, holidaymakers could hire a yacht and sail her out along one of Lirs many oceans. The routes were structured for safety, but they varied. There were the populated routes where you wouldn’t go a day without seeing another party, or there were routes like the one he and Leonard were taking, where they wouldn’t see another soul for two weeks. The best part was the tiny, tropical island that lay at the turning point. Jim could feel his tense muscles unwind just thinking about the sandy shores.

Two weeks of sun, sea, sand, and sex was just about perfect.

“Lunch is ready,” Leonard called from behind him, and Jim flipped the autopilot on to keep them going in the right direction. Another great thing about these high tech yachts. There was no need to manually sail them. If a person wanted to, the yachts mechanical system could do everything. Jim loved standing on the bridge, steering manually, as did Leonard, but it was a nice feature to have if they wanted to spend a day wrapped up in each other’s arms.

Jumping down onto the deck, he was just in time to see Leonard finishing setting things up on the small table. It was a light lunch, mostly salad with some meat and cheese, but it looked delicious. Two tall glasses filled partway with orange juice stood next to the plates, with a bottle of champagne in the middle. “Pulling out the stops are we, Bones?” Jim grinned, picking up the bottle and examining it. “Very nice.”

“Figured we should start our vacation in style. Do you want to do the honors, or should I?”

“Be my guest.” Jim handed the bottle back over, and sat in one of the comfy teal chairs, munching a lettuce leaf as he watched the older man pop the cork with ease. Leonard moved quickly, pouring the pale liquid into the orange juice without spilling a drop. He set the bottle down in the middle of the table and took a seat opposite Jim. Raising his glass, Jim quickly copied the action, clicking them both together gently. “To a perfect vacation.”

“To a perfect vacation,” Leonard echoed, taking a sip of the mimosa.

They ate together, talking about everything and nothing all at once. The whole lunch was mostly about them simply enjoying each others company. It was nice to see Leonard looking so relaxed, the sea breeze rustling his hair gently. All these years together and Jim could still feel the bubble of love swell in his heart whenever he looked at the other man. He couldn’t imagine his life without him.

“You always get romantic when we come out here,” Leonard mused, looking over at him.

“How do you know I’m feeling romantic?”

“Because you’re gazing at me whilst looking like the human version of the heart eye emoji.”

Jim laughed, “I can’t look at my boyfriend and think how much I love him now?”

“Of course you can, but I’d rather you show me,” Leonard smirked, moving from the table over the large lounger that ran along the port side railings and settling himself down on it.

“Yeah?” Jim followed Leonard over, straddling the brunette’s lap, knees sinking down into the soft fabric. “And how would you like me to do that?”

“I can think of a few ways.” Leonard cupped the back of Jim’s neck, drawing him down into a deep kiss that left him squirming in seconds. Leonard moved quickly, and before he could react, Jim found himself on his back on the lounger with Leonard hovering above him.

“Show off,” Jim groaned, looking up at Leonard through half-lidded eyes. The older man was surprisingly strong, though he only ever showed it in front of Jim. Usually, because he knew just how much it turned him on.

“Sugar, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Leonard smirked again and Jim’s eyes rolled back in his head. Leonard was going to be the death of him this vacation.

~

Jim stretched out on the decking, looking up at the Lir’s two bright moons. They’d barely moved since that afternoon, Leonard only getting up to find them a blanket and some snacks. Aside from that, all they’d done is lay together, limbs tangled and bodies pressed together. Now Leonard was next to him, not really sleeping, but not fully awake either while Jim was content to watch the stars. Everything was silent around them save for the gentle lapping of the waves. Another reason he loved it out here. It was so peaceful. As much as Jim loved the constant thrum of the Enterprise, coming here and basking in the silence was a welcome release. It finally gave him time to process his own thoughts. Like now, things he’d been determined not to think about until they got back crept up in his mind and refused to leave him alone.

Jim sighed, he knew it’d never go away if he didn’t get it off his chest.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Jim looked down at Leonard. “Bones?”

“Hmm?” Came his response, Leonard not even opening his eyes.

“I need to talk to you about something.”

That did earn him a look. “‘Bout what?”

“I was going to wait until we got home because I didn’t want to risk ruining things, but it’s just going to bother me if I don’t.” Jim started, running his fingers through his hair. “I just need you to know, really. We can talk through everything another time, but at least you won’t be in the dark. Not long after we got back I got pulled into a meeting with Admiralty. I thought it was just meant to be a debriefing, but it wasn’t. At the end, we talked about the Enterprise’s future-”

“ And they offered you another five-year mission.” It wasn’t a question.

“ You knew? How?”

“ At our Welcome Home party, Phil had one too many whiskeys and mentioned it.”

“Not surprised somehow,” Jim chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to tell you about it straight away, not  until I’d had a chance to think about it.”

“But now you have, and you want to go.” Really, Jim thought, he should get freaked over how Leonard could read his mind.

“I do. But I don’t want to do it without you either, and I’ve already asked you to spend five years in space so I won’t ask you again, Bones. I won’t, I can’t ask you to leave Jo, your mom, for another five years. That wouldn’t be fair.” It was the truth. In all honesty, he’d been thrilled when the Admirals had first suggested another prolonged mission. In his heart, he wasn’t done exploring space. There was still so much to see, places to explore. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his time flying doing milk runs or playing chauffeur. But he wasn’t going to spend all that time away from Leonard either, and it was just too much to ask the older man to leave his family.

Leonard smiled at him. “Thank you for thinking of me, Jim,” he murmured, reaching over to take hold of Jim’s hand. “And honestly, when I first heard about it, I wasn’t sure how I felt. The past five years have been stressful, the number of times you’ve been hurt, how close I’ve come to losing you, the danger we’ve all been in; none of that made me eager to sign up again.” He paused, rubbing his thumb over the back of Jim’s hand as he thought. “But at the same time, we’ve seen beautiful things, helped countless people. That girl and her baby would’ve probably died if we hadn’t been there.”

“If you hadn’t been there. I just stood there and held her hand,” Jim chimed in, remembering that particular mission. Leonard had had to think on his feet quickly. They hadn’t been allowed to use their regular medical equipment, so he’d been forced to use outdated techniques to save the life of the young woman and her baby.

“Maybe so, but we did a lot of good the last few years. Enough that it probably outweighs the bad.”

“But there’s still your mom and Jo. You’ll be missing a lot.”

“We wouldn’t be going immediately though, would we?”

Jim shook his head. “No. We have eighteen months dirtside, and then they’d like us to do a few months of short runs just to get acclimated with any new tech. So it’ll be a couple years.”

“That’s what I thought.” Leonard looked up at the stars for a few moments, then looked over and met Jim’s eyes. “Let’s do it.”

“Really? Bones, are you sure? What about your family?”

“I’ve already talked it over them.”

Jim blinked, “You have?”

“Yeah. And we decided that as long as I got some time with them here, they’ll be fine with it. I’ll still be around for the big things with Jo. I’ll get a couple years with her now, and by the time we’re ready to leave, she’ll be a teen anyway, and we’ll be back in time to see her graduate.”

“Scotty mentioned he’s working on some new tech that’ll make long-range communication even easier when we’re in deep space. To the point where we’ll be able to have prolonged video chats with people on Earth other than Starfleet, so you’ll be able to talk with Jo all the time.”

“Exactly. Don’t think I’m jumping into this lightly, Jim. I’ve thought about it. A lot. I’ve even looked over the results from Ma’s latest physical. She’ll outlive us all.”

Jim laughed, that hardly surprised him. Eleanora was probably healthier than the two of them combined. “So you’re sure? You definitely want to do this? Go back out there?”

“Lord help me, I do. I’d follow you anywhere, Jim.”

Jim was on top of Leonard in a second, kissing the breath out of him. “I love you, Bones. I love you so much it hurts sometimes.”

“I love you too, darlin’. You’re my everything.” Leonard smiled tenderly up at him, carding fingers through his hair. “But just because I said the good outweighed the bad last time, doesn’t mean you can go and be even more reckless next time, got it?”

“Aw, but, Bones, me being reckless gives you more reason to punish me,” Jim pouted, a teasing glint in his eye. “You know you love punishing me.”

A growl was all the warning he had before Jim found himself flat on the deck, Leonard hovering above. “What makes you think I need a reason to have my way with you?” He smirked in the moonlight, quickly pinning Jim down.

Jim just groaned, stretching out beneath the other man. “Fuck, I really do love you, Bones.”


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re like the god damned fish whisperer,” Leonard said incredulously, looking down at the fish sitting in the basket next to Jim. “You’ve not been out here an hour.” **  
**

“Just call me, Ernie, Bones. I call the fish and they come.”

“So that makes me Bert I take it?”

“If the shoe fits,” Jim laughed, setting the fishing pole to one side, and shifting the fish out of the way so Leonard could sit next to him, legs dangling off the side of the boat. “Every time we come out here, you’re amazed at my fishing talents, Bones. When are you going to realize that I’m just an all-around genius?”

“The same day pigs fly, I reckon,” Leonard laughed in return. “Or the day you decide to stop wearing bright pink shorts. You could blind someone in those things.”

“At least I didn’t buy the kaftan.”

“The kaf- nevermind, I don’t want to know.” Leonard shook his head, leaning back on his elbows so he could catch the sun on his chest.

Jim didn’t even bother trying to be subtle as he stared. So many people talked about him being the handsome one, but watching Leonard sunbathing, the crisp white shirt emphasizing the tan he’d gotten over the last few days, all long and lean, Jim thought those people were crazy.

“You’re gonna make me self-conscious if you keep starin’,” Leonard muttered, not bothering to open his eyes.

“Don’t be. I’m just admiring the sexiest man in the universe.”

That earned him a glare as Leonard scoffed. “You can’t say that, we haven’t explored the whole universe.”

“Yet. And when we have, I guarantee you’ll still be the sexiest man.”

Leonard grumped, “I ain’t anything special. Just an aging, grumpy doctor that’s starting to get soft in the middle.”

“Hey,” Jim moved in an instant so he was hovering above Leonard, “You’re perfect, Bones.”

Leonard shook his head, looking away from Jim. “I’m far from that.”

“You so aren’t.” Gently cupping Leonard’s cheek, Jim managed to coax his boyfriend into looking at him again. “I mean it, Bones. To me you’re perfect, and you always will be. Even when we’re all old and wrinkly, with most of our hair missing, hobbling around on walking sticks as we go to eat our mushy food, I’m still going to think you’re the most perfect, sexiest man in the universe. I might need a bucket load of viagra to be able to show you just how attracted I am, but the meaning will be there.”

Leonard looked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Idiot. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jim smiled, leaning down for a kiss. Leonard snaked an arm around his waist, tugging him closer. Jim groaned, “As much as I really want to do this, neither of us will be happy when those fish go off from being stuck in the heat and stink up the whole boat.”

“Thought I was meant to be the sensible one,” Leonard mumbled against his lips, but reluctantly let Jim go free.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have me all to yourself when we reach the island tomorrow.”

With a final peck to the cheek, Jim pulled away, busying himself with prepping the fish and storing them away. He’d caught plenty to last them a couple days, which was nice. Leonard could always fry up a mean fish on the boat, but there was something about cooking fish over an open fire that Jim loved. Leonard usually rolled his eyes and called him a caveman, yet still never complained when Jim served up the simple dishes. It was primitive, he supposed, and comical when the whole point of these vacations was to be in luxury, but he didn’t care, it was fun.

If they both secretly knew that Jim was also making sure he still knew how to survive in the wild, neither ever mentioned it.

The next morning dawned as beautiful as all the rest. Jim was up on the bridge, steering the yacht as he watched the colors of the sun dance over the waves. Leonard was still sleeping down below, and probably would be for a couple more hours. Jim didn’t mind. The serenity of the early morning was calming. Especially on days when he knew he’d feel out of sorts.

Splashing caught his attention, drawing his gaze to the side. A dolphin breached the water, twisting elegantly in the air, sending sparkling droplets of water everywhere before diving back into the ocean. Jim smiled, leaning over to see the bodies of other dolphins just below the surface. Setting the boat to just cruise gently, Jim hopped up onto the rails, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge to watch them. They weren’t technically dolphins, they just looked a lot like the ones on earth. The main difference was their skin. It shimmered, making it appear as though it changed color.

Even as Jim watched, a young one leaped out, it’s skin changing and glimmering to match the colors of the dawn sky. It was mesmerizing. The reports on the planet suggested that there’d once been a predator here that hunted the dolphins and forced them to develop the chameleon skin. The predator was extinct now the reports said. Or now lived so deep in the ocean that they hadn’t been discovered yet.

The thought of them one-day reemerging always excited Jim.

Telling Leonard that usually resulted in a cuff around the head and being told to fuck off.

Jim pushed himself off the railings and dived straight into the glittering sea. The dolphins were just as intelligent as their cousins on Earth, and even more friendly. As soon as he reached the pod they were around him, clicking and whistling as they swam and jumped. Jim laughed when a calf made an attempt at a jump, but only resulted in splashing water everywhere. He reached out to it, grinning when it bumped into his hand.

A distinct whistle to his right had Jim grinning even wider. He’d heard the same unique whistle every time they’d been here. “Daphne! I was wondering if we’d see you!” The dolphin in question swam around him, clicking happily. She stopped and Jim knew what to do. He took hold of her dorsal fin, and in the next moment, she was off, dragging him along with her as she swam. He had just enough time to take a breath before she dived under the water, giving him a chance to look around him and see all the vibrancy of the coral and reefs down below, smaller schools of fish flitting between them. Then they were back on top, gliding along the surface as Daphne turned, taking him back towards her pod and his yacht.

Leonard was there when they returned, leaning against the rails with a mug of coffee. “Have a good time?”

“The best,” Jim grinned breathlessly, letting Daphne go. “Coming to join us?”

“Not a chance. I don’t swim before it’s fully light.”

One of the dolphins whistled in the most disapproving way Jim had ever heard, and he burst out laughing again. “I think she’s saying you’re no fun, Bones.”

“Unbelievable. I’m getting scolded by a damned dolphin.”

Daphne clicked, nudging Jim’s back. He turned in the water and petted her. “Come back in a few days and we’ll see about getting Doctor Grumpy in too, yeah?” He smiled, getting a happy whistle in return. Researchers said they couldn’t understand everything people said to them. Jim called bullshit.

He swam back to the boat and climbed back on with a hand from Leonard, the two of them watching the pod swim off into the horizon. “I’m glad we saw them, wouldn’t have been the same without Daphne.”

Leonard shook his head, wrapping a towel around him before looping an arm around his waist. “Damned fish whisperer.”

“They’re mammals, Bones. Just like the ones on Earth,” he scolded, lightly nudging the other man with his elbow.

“Damned dolphin whisperer then,” Leonard huffed with a shake of his head.

“Better.” Jim kissed Leonard’s cheek. “Have a good sleep?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Well enough.” Jim avoided the doubtful look on Leonard’s face, kissing his cheek again before stepping away. “I’m going to grab a shower so I don’t smell like dolphin. Get breakfast started so we’ll have time to get what we need for the island. We’re on track to be there by noon.”

“Aye, Captain.” Leonard mock saluted, watching Jim disappear below deck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see where the Bert and Ernie reference came from, you can find the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUusX1Js6R0&t=74s


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which the McCoys love Jim so much, they break him

Jim stood at the edge of the beach, letting the sea splash gently over his bare feet as he basked in the sun. He could hear Leonard behind him, setting up the things they’d brought to the island with them. The yacht was floating a little ways away, anchored down for the couple days they’d be here. **  
**

“I hope you put on a fresh layer of sunscreen before you decided to stand there and bake like a potato,” Leonard called. “What you had on washed off on the swim over.”

“Give me some credit, Bones. Of course, I did.” Jim walked out of the sea, using the towel he’d set nearby to dry off his feet before walking back up the beach, enjoying the feel of the soft sand between his toes. He rummaged through his pack, pulling out the small hatchet he had. “I’m going to get us some firewood.”

Leonard laughed at him fondly. “Alright, I’ll finish here. Off you go, Fred.”

“Yabba dabba doooo!” Jim took off at a sprint towards the trees, listening to Leonard laugh even louder behind him. He slowed down once he’d got further in and the trees became denser around him. He picked his way across the ground, stopping only once to listen to a pair of monkeys chittering to each other happily. He loved this place, there was always something new to see despite the island being fairly small. A couple days never seemed long enough. Maybe he could convince Leonard to come back out before they left for their next five years, and spend longer here. Maybe a week. He doubted Leonard would protest to that.

Jim trekked along until he came across some branches that’d make suitable firewood. He chopped them into smaller, more carriable chunks, and gathered them up into his arms. By the time he got the fire set up and going, it’d almost be time for dinner. Perfect. His mouth watered just at the memory of the fish he’d cook later.

Leonard had his back to him when he returned, but greeted him with a hello and an order not to nose at what was he was doing, and ready the fire. Jim raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue, busying himself with getting the branches lit. It was an easy enough job. The wood was dry and in perfect burning condition. He’d lit fires with a lot worse.

Once he was done, he straightened up, only to find his eyes immediately being covered by a hand, and Leonard’s chest pressed against his back. “Bones, what’re you doing?” He asked, confused, even as he let Leonard gently guide him around.

“Trust me. I’ve got a surprise for you,” Came Leonard’s response whispered in his ear. Jim felt Leonard turn them around in a one-eighty angle, then move them forward a few steps. They were heading to where Leonard had been busy and secretive not long before, Jim knew. “Okay, ready?” Leonard asked just as they came to a stop.

Before he could answer, Leonard’s hand fell away allowing him to blink his eyes open. Immediately his gaze dropped to the white sand before him. Laid out on the beach were about a dozen parcels, all wrapped in various gift papers. Leonard had put them all together so they made a heart shape on the sand. “Bones…”

“You really thought I was just going to let your birthday go by? Not a chance.”

“Who…who are they from?” Jim asked, looking over his shoulder at Leonard.

“Everyone. Me, Jo, Ma, Chris and Phil. There’s some from the crew too. A few single ones from Spock and Ny, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty. But there are a couple collective ones too from different departments. I think laundry bought you a sewing kit.”

Jim laughed loudly, looking back down at the gifts. He stared a moment, swallowing down the lump in his throat. Leonard no doubt heard his sniff but didn’t say anything. “You smuggled all these onto the yacht, kept them hidden, so you could do this? For me?”

Leonard moved, wrapping his arms around Jim’s waist. “Everyone deserves to know that they’re loved on their birthday. And I made a promise to myself back at the Academy that I’d find a way to make sure you knew every year.”

Jim turned in Leonard’s arms, wrapping his own around the other man in return. “And you always have. Thank you,” he whispered, kissing Leonard softly. He hadn’t always realized it, but Leonard had kept his promise. Every year since they’d known each other he’d found some way to make Jim happy. Even back in their second year before they were dating, Leonard had returned early from Georgia just so he could spend the day with Jim.

“Anything for you, darlin’,” Leonard smiled gently, returning the kiss. “What do you say we open these now, then get dinner going? I’ve been looking forward to your fish all trip.”

Jim chuckled. “Sounds about perfect.”

They sat down on the sand together, thighs pressed against each other as Leonard passed him each present. There were a surprising amount of bottles of liquor, including a very old, vintage bottle of bourbon from Chris and Phil, and a bottle of Scotty’s trademark moonshine. Leonard had been right about the sewing kit which came with a cheeky note about how he could fix his shirts now. A beautifully intricate memory box from Spock and Nyota. Eleanora had made him a hand knitted sweater ready for when they returned to the winter on Earth.

Leonard’s present was surprisingly heavy. Jim opened it carefully, revealing the books inside. There were only a few, but they were some of his favorites. He’d had physical copies of all of them once, but they were destroyed during Krall’s attack. He’d hunted everywhere for them since, but they were so old paper copies were almost impossible to find.

“You like them?” Leonard asked, watching as Jim thumbed through one of them.

“They’re…they’re amazing, Bones, thank you.” Jim set them down tenderly so he could twist in the sand and kiss Leonard. “You’re amazing. Sly, and an exceptionally good liar, but amazing.”

“You’re worth it,” Leonard smiled against his lips, pulling back enough to be able to meet his eyes. “There’s a couple more presents left. From Jo.”

Jim nodded, sitting back up properly so Leonard could pass them over. The first one was wrapped clumsily and Jim could feel how squishy it was underneath the paper. He pulled it off, immediately laughing at what lay inside.  A blond teddy bear looked up at him, dressed in a gold command shirt, complete with badge and captain stripes. Jim smiled, brushing his fingers over the soft fur as they traveled up to the sticker on his paw so he could squeeze it.

_I love you, Dad_

Jo’s voice spoke through the bear. Jim nearly dropped it in his shock. Dad. Jo had called him Dad. He looked up at Leonard, finding the other man watching him with a fond smile. “Did…did you know?”

“Yeah. She bought me a brown one in blue and asked if it was okay to give you the same message. Nothing could’ve made me happier.”

Jim returned the smile, hugging the bear close to his chest. He kept it close as he reached over and picked up the final gift. He could tell from the shape and feel it was another book, but it was thinner and larger than the novels Leonard had given him. He peeled open the paper.

He was right about it being a book, but it still caught him off guard. “My Dads & Me” was written across the front in large glittery letters with a photo of the three of them attached underneath. The tears he’d been trying to fight back broke free as he looked down at the photo album, turning through the first few pages. All of the photos were of them together. At birthdays, Christmas, days out together. The three of them looking like a family.

“Bones…I…” His voice broke even as he tried to speak, more tears falling loose. “I didn’t…I never…never thought that I…that I meant this much to her.”

An arm wrapped around his waist, tugging him in close. “Of course you do, Jim. You’ve been in her life since she was a baby. Been there for her just as much as I have. You mean the world to her. To us,” Leonard said softly, planting a kiss on his temple. “We love you, Jim Kirk.”

“I love you too. Both of you. I’d do anything for either of you.”

“We know, darlin’. You’ve shown us that time and time again.”

Jim sniffed, staying leaned into Leonard as he brushed his tears away. They stayed quiet together for a while, looking through the photos in the album.

“Still can’t believe you two talked me into wearing those damned Mickey Mouse ears,” Leonard muttered after a few of minutes of silence when they came across a whole bunch of pictures they had taken at Disneyland.

“Revenge for duping us into wearing those ‘if lost please return to’ t-shirts,” Jim laughed, grinning down at the photo of them all wearing Mickey Mouse headbands. He and Jo were loving life while Leonard had a scowl on his face.  A mock one anyway. Jim could still see that he’d secretly loved it. “We should go back before we have to start working again.”

“We should,” Leonard agreed, fingers playing with the fine hairs at the nape of Jim’s neck. “But for now I think we should eat. I saw the way you eyed up all that liquor, and I’m not letting us drink on an empty stomach.”

“Ever the Doctor,” Jim chuckled, but stood up anyway, still holding onto his bear as he helped Leonard up too.

Together they packed away all the presents to keep them safe, then Jim set about cooking some of the fish they’d brought with them on the fire. The smell was just as good as he’d remembered, the taste even better. Leonard groaned at his first bite. They sat in front of the flames, watching them seemingly grow brighter as the sky darkened around them. Jim loved the nights here. Just him and Leonard together, feeling like the only two in the world. It counteracted all the bad memories of being stuck in the wild.

Once they were done, they debated on which bottle to open, but ultimately decided on Scotty’s moonshine. Chris and Phil’s looked delicious, but they both agreed it was probably too expensive to be used up on a drunken night on the beach. The moonshine, however, that was just perfect.

Jim popped the lid off, taking a swig straight from the bottle, coughing at the sheer strength of it. He passed it over to Leonard who whistled after his first sip before taking another.

The night went by in a blur after that. There was a lot of drinking and laughing loudly by the fire. At some point one of them started to play music, turning the volume all the way up as they danced together. It was rare for either of them to cut so loose anymore. They got drunk occasionally sure, but this was more than that. This was them not caring about anything, both of them completely uninhibited as they danced like idiots, sharing the bottle of moonshine between them.

As the night grew later and the bottle became emptier, they got closer. Jim remembered Leonard kissing him, tasting the liquor on his tongue. There were hands in shorts and grinding and whispers of promises and Leonard sucking deep marks onto his skin. Someone mentioned lube and a blanket and suddenly Jim found himself straddling Leonard’s thighs as the other lay down with hands back in his shorts, grabbing his ass as more filthy promises were made.

Jim had the vague thought that this was probably the best birthday ever.

~

Someone was drilling in his head, he was sure, Jim thought as he slowly woke up. Probably the same person who’d zapped all the moisture from his mouth. Cracking an eye open, he quickly groaned at the bright sun and closed it again.

Beneath him, a second groan echoed his own. He attempted to open his eyes again, this time tilting his head away from the light so he managed to succeed. Leonard was sprawled out on a blanket underneath him, looking as terrible as he felt.

“Guess this is the price you pay for drinking a bottle of Scotty’s homebrew,” Jim rasped, earning him another groan from Leonard.

He managed to look around him, seeing that one of them had apparently had the sense to leave a bottle of water nearby. He grabbed it, flipping the lid to gulp down a few mouthfuls. It was warm by now, but it still tasted amazing. He closed it again, rolling over onto his back so Leonard could drink too.

It was only then that Jim was able to see the state they were in. Both of them were shirtless, Leonard’s shorts had been opened, and Jim’s hand been pushed down his thighs. He also noticed the bottle of lube near Leonard’s hand. “Looks like our good intentions came up short, “ Jim chuckled, pulling his shorts back up. At least it was still early morning so the sun hadn’t burnt them.

“Always later,” Leonard mumbled, draping an arm across his eyes.

“True. Wonder what it is about this place that always gets us acting like newlyweds on honeymoon.” it was on off the cuff comment but he felt Leonard tense immediately. “Bones?”

“I’m gonna get some fresh water from the cooler. This warm one is disgusting.” Leonard pushed himself up, straightening his clothes as he walked over to the cooler. Jim stayed where he was, watching him closely. It was a strange comment to be upset about. He knew Leonard didn’t want to get married again, and he’d always been fine with it. Just being with Leonard was enough for him. Maybe the other was just feeling guilty.

He let it drop for now, allowing himself to drown in self-pity for a while longer before forcing himself up to so they could nurse their hangovers as best they could.

After a breakfast of bacon and sausage, Leonard seemed to snap out of his funk, but there was still something off. He continued to let it lie though. It wasn’t like it was spoiling the trip, Leonard was his usual self, and he wasn’t about to make his boyfriend uncomfortable. Leonard would talk about it when he was ready.

That time came sometime that afternoon. Jim was sunbathing and reading one of the books Leonard had bought him when the man in question came over and sat by him. Jim finished the page he was on and closed the book.

“I’m sorry I acted weird this morning. Just hearing you talk about marriage got me jittery,” Leonard spoke quietly, playing the hem of his shirt. “I just get so guilty sometimes, knowing that I haven’t got it in me take that step again.”

“Bones, I know. I understand. After all the pain you went through with Jocelyn, of course you don’t want to get married,” Jim shifted closer, laying a hand on top of Leonard’s. “I have you and I know you’re committed, that’s all I want.”

“You’re really saying that you’re happy to never get married? That it’s something you’ve never thought about or wanted?”

“I’ve thought about it plenty of times, but I’ve thought about having a family more. And I have that with you. With Jo. That’s all I need to be happy.”

“I know. Inside, I know,” Leonard sighed. “But I hate how messed up I am, Jim. I think about getting married and instantly remember all that pain and I get terrified. And I know you’d never hurt me like that, really I do, I swear. The feeling’s just automatic.”

“Hey, I understand.” Jim shifted so he could kiss Leonard softly. “I love you, Bones, and that’s going to stay the same whether we get married one day or not. I promise.”

“Thank you, Jim.” Leonard pressed their foreheads together, the two of them staying like that for a couple of minutes. “There’s something I want you to have. I’ve been carrying it with me for ages now, but I could never decide whether I should give it to you. I liked it but I was scared that it would just taunt you about something that might not happen. But I think you should have it. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want, but…yeah.”

Jim watched with a slight frown and some curiosity as Leonard pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it over. Jim opened it, revealing the ring nestled inside. Made from a silver metal, the band was both chunky yet intricate. An eternity symbol was carved into the middle and on one side of it sat a yellow sapphire while on the other sat a blue one.

“It’s a promise ring. I can’t tell you that one day I’ll definitely have the courage to get married again, but I can promise to always be there for you no matter what. It’s a promise to love you all the way to the very ends of the universe.”

Jim looked up at Leonard for a moment, then back to the ring. He took it out and slipped it on. It fit perfectly. Of course it did. “It’s beautiful, Bones. And more than I could ever want,” he smiled, kissing Leonard again.

“Really? You like it?” Leonard asked, the uncertainty still in his eyes.

“I love it. And I love you. I always will.”

Leonard finally returned his smile, taking the hand with the ring on and kissing it. “I love you too,” he murmured, pulling Jim in close as they tumbled down onto the sand together.

~

They were lying on their makeshift bed next to the fire, looking up at the starry sky. Jim was tucked into Leonard’s side, holding Jo’s bear again, running his fingers through the soft fur. “Bones?”

“Mmm?”

“You know earlier you said you’d love me to the ends of the universe? What if the universe is actually endless?”

“Guess I’ll just have to keep on loving you in that case.”

Jim broke out into a grin, “I’m okay with that.”

Above him, Leonard smiled too, wrapping his arm around Jim a little tighter. “So am I, darlin’. So am I.”


End file.
